Spill-proof container



April 27, 1965 H. GoLDscHMlDT 3,130,515.

SPILL-PROOF CONTAINER Filed July 12, 1962 12 mvENToR. Herer Gofds'cm diAT TORNE Y United States Patent O 3,130,5 SPELL-PROUF CGNTAHNER herbertGoldschmidt, 45 Amherst Place, Livingston, NJ. Filed July 12, i962, Ser.No. 209,355 4 Claims. (Cl. 229--2il.5)

My invention relates to spill-proof containers generally, and specicallyto spill-proof containers having partitions arranged as bellies toprevent the contained material from escaping, regardless of the positionin which the container is disposed.

lt is among the objects of my invention to provide a container .thatwill not accidentally discharge its contents.

Another object of my invention is to provide a container in which thecontents are readily accessible to dip brushes.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a container that willkeep contaminating material separate.

A further object of my invention is to provide a container whosecontents are entrapp-ed in a series of battles, although it may bedisposed in several positions other than normal.

These objects and advantages as Well as other objects and advantages maybe attained by the device shown by way of illustration in Vthe drawingsin which:

FIGURE l is a vertical sectional view of 4a spill-proof container;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of a well Ifor the container shown inFIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a basket for the container;

FIGURE 4 is a view of a cover-plate for the top of the container;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of a truncated cone for the well; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view showing the closure for thecontainer.

The-re are numerous spill-proof containers :for use in industry. Thepresent device features a more positive ability to prevent accidentaldischarge of the contents despite accidental tipping. Further, lthecontainer is readily lled, flushed, or cleaned. The impurities that mayenter the basket of the container are kept from con- Laminating theremainder of the contents. Bandes, a filter .asset holding contaminatingmaterials from impairing the bulk of the contents, and a trap-dooraccomplish these objects.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the spill-proof containercomprises a housing 1l. The housing l1 is generaliy rectangular inhorizontal cross-section, and closed lat the bottom l2. The centralportion of the bottom has a generally :circular depression 13 that isdimensioned to receive the .bottom of a well i4. The top of the housing1l is open so that the well M can be inserted. The well i4 is preferablycircular, and it rests in the depression t3. The well le extends towardthe top of the housing itl, but it terminates below it. The well 14 hasa radial flange 15 at its top edge that extends to the inside of thewall of the housing, where it serves as a closure, below the level ofthe top of the housing 11. The ange 15 has an upturned edge lib. Thebottom of the Well 14 ihas a lbottom feed tube lo connected to it andextending outwardly and horizontally toward the corner of the housing`11 adjacent to a fller port. Fluid outside the Well .le may enter thewell 1d through the feed tube i6. The well 145 also has an air relieftube 17 communicating with its interior immediately above the -feed tube16 and extending toward the corner of the housing adjacent to ya fillerpor-t. The air relief tube i7 extends in a generally upward and out-Ward direction toward the flange 15 and terminates near the edge thereofand adjacent to the corner of the container ll. The feed tube 16 and theair relief tube 17 preferably lie in the same vertical plane, the oneabove the other, and extend toward a corner adjacent to a filter post,otherwise air would be trapped when the container is on its side forfilling.

A perforated basket .18 lies in the bottom of the well 14. The basket 1Sis lesser in external diameter than the internal diameter of the Welli4. It is provided with a top ilange 19, to center itin the well lift.The basket 1S also has many vertical slots 2t?. When in position in thewell 1d, it covers the entrance of Vthe feed `tube i6, and holds backparticles of foreign matter and chips that may be introduced into theWell 14. The basket may be removed, and with it, foreign matter is4removed and may be deposited to prevent it from contaminating the fluidin the container 11. The well 14 is positioned in the housing l by thefrictional engagement of the ange 15 and the edge 19 with the insidewall of the housing il.

The top `of the container il is closed by a plate or cap 2. This plateZ1 is welded to the top of the container ll. The plate 21 has a centralaperture 2?.. An inverted truncated cone 213 is positioned in theaperture 22 and extends down into the Well i4. The cone 213 has a topradial flange 24 which rests on the plate 2l. A pair of eut outs 25 -onthe ilange 24 are dimensioned to pass by the heads o-f screws 26, 2.6 onthe plate 2d., so that the flange 24 can be rotated to pass under thescrews 26, 26. When the screws 26, 26 are tightened, the cone Z3 is heldin place -in the Well, where its lower end 27 is about at the level with.the top of the basket l. The bottom `27 of the cone has a hinged trapdoor Z which is kept in a normally horizontal position by the spring Z9;the spring 29 is attached to the outside of the cone 23.

The side wall of the container l1 has a filler port, adadjacent to thetubes 16, 17. A plug 3i) closes the ller port. The plug 3@ has a centralenlargement 3l which fits the ller port. A resilient strap or spring 32is attached to a cross-member 33 on the plug 39. A slotted retainer 34is attached to the outside of the container il near the bottom thereof.The end 35 of the spring is tted into the slotted retainer 3ft. The topSe of the spring 32 has a hooked or folded portion 37 which embraces andfrictionally engages the top of the housing 1i and presses the plug intosealing engagement with the filler port.

The plate 2l is spaced away from the flange 15. The central aperture 22is delineated by a downwardly extending flange which engages the cone 23and prevents the material in the container 11 from leaking out if thecontainer l1 is turned to other than an upright position.

It is noted that the air relief tube 17 permits entrapped air to pass sothat the container 11 may be filled when laid on its side. The basket 18will retain foreign matter for easy removal. The trap door 23 helps tocontain the contents against spilling if the container is overturned. Itis easily pressed aside to admit a dip brush, by the Weight of the brushitself.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodimentof the invention. The component parts have been shown and described.They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similarfunction; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for thesaid components and may have actually been known or invented before thepresent invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being withinthe scope ot' the appended claims, although they are not specificallycatalogued herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A spill-proof container comprising 3,1eo,516 v (a) a generallyrectangular hollow housing with an l open top, ,Y (b) a generallycylindrical Well in the housing extending toward the top thereof,

(c) a radial flange on the top of the Well'extending across, closing thetop of, and attached to the housing, l

(d) fa horizontal feed-tube extending from Withiny the well andextending radially toward an edge of the housing along the bottomthereof, Y Y

(e) an air-relief tube extending from Within the well above thefeed-tube and extending upwardly toward the same ed ge of the housing assaid feed tube,

() a perforate basket lying at the bottom in the well, and covering theinnermost ends of the feed-tube an air-relief tube, l Y

(g) a top-plate with a central aperture connected to the'top of thehousing above the ange on the Well,

(h) an inverted, truncated cone in the centralaperture to the top plate,t

(z') a spring-loaded, normally closed door attached rtoV the bottomofthe cone,

(j)Y a iller port in the side wall of the housing adjacent y 'Y to thefeed-tube and air-relief tube, and

(k) closure means engageable with the'ller port.

2. Aspill proof container comprising: Y

A(a) a hollowV housing dening a -single chamber, the

housing having a side filler port; 1

(b) a `Well in the chamber spaced radially inwardly kfrom said hollowhousing; j

(c) a feed-tube and an air-relief tube in the chamber Vcommunicatingbetween/:heV chamber andthe well and extending radially toward theliller port;

(d) a top onthe housing having an opening;

(e) an inverted, truncated cone depending from the opening in the top ofthe housing into the Well;

(f) closure means on the, bottom of the cone, deiining with the cone aclosure for the opening in the' top.

3. A spill-proof container comprising i the structure irl-accordancewith claim 2, and

(b) a spring loaded, normally closed door attached to the bottom of thecone. y

4. A spill-proof container comprising:

(a) the structure in accordance with claim 2, and

(b) a spring loaded,V normally closed door attached to the bottom of thecone, and

(e) a perforated basket lying at the bottoni of the Well.

- l Vleier-enses Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES' PATENTS VTEERJE.CONDON, `Primary Examiner. g ERLE T.'DRUMli/IOND,V GEORGE O. RALSTON,

Examiners.

2. A SPILL PROOF CONTAINER COMPRISING: (A) A HOLLOW HOUSING DEFINING ASINGLE CHAMBER, THE HOUSING HAVING A SIDE FILLER PORT; (B) A WELL IN THECHAMBER SPACED RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID HOLLOW HOUSING; (C) AFEED-TUBE AND AN AIR-RELIEF TUBE IN THE CHAMBER COMMUNICATING BETWEENTHE CHAMBER AND THE WELL AND EXTENDING RADIALLY TOWARD THE FILLER PORT;(D) A TOP ON THE HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING;